Chapter 24

Xu Zhao paid for it without a second thought, handing over the money and the ticket. The sales clerk took it and handed him a receipt.

“Do you have sewing machines here?” he asked.

The sales clerk replied, “Unfortunately, we just sold out a couple of days ago. We get new stock in the middle of each month, so if you want one, you should come early.”

She had just caught a glimpse of the new watch on Jiang Suihan’s wrist—Shanghai brand, definitely not cheap, probably close to two hundred yuan. Between the watch, the bicycle, and now looking for a sewing machine, this soldier was really generous with his money for his partner, spending so much without even batting an eye.

This girl is really lucky, to find someone who treats her so well. The sales clerk was almost envious to death. And when she looked at the girl’s beautiful face, she had to admit it made sense.

Good looks are indeed useful.

But looks are something you can only envy, not replicate. It’s all thanks to one’s parents. She might as well focus on her work and hope to find someone who treats her just as well.

The sales clerk couldn’t help but glance at Xu Zhao, sighing inwardly. This soldier not only had good looks but also had money and was willing to spend it on his partner.

She was about the same age as Jiang Suihan and considered herself not bad-looking. Why couldn’t she find someone like this?

Last week, her family introduced her to a potential suitor. Goodness, at a state-run restaurant, he ordered only two dishes, one completely vegetarian, and the other just stir-fried eggs with green peppers. When he paid, he looked pained, and on the way back, he kept subtly hinting at how generous and kind he was to her.

If it weren’t for the fact that her aunt was the matchmaker, she would have thrown the money back in his face and told him, “Consider this my good deed for the day—this meal’s on me.”

Frustrated, she went home and immediately told her family that the blind date was a no-go. After hearing her description of the man’s stingy and peculiar behavior, her mother’s face darkened, and she promised to explain it to her aunt. A man like that wasn’t worth marrying.

Xu Zhao and Jiang Suihan continued buying many items, including two pounds of biscuits and one pound of milk candy for Jiang Leyun. The little one was overjoyed, smiling ear to ear with candy in his mouth.

Outside the department store, Zhang Xiangqian was leaning against the car, bored, kicking a small stone. When he saw Xu Zhao come out, he asked, “All done?”

Xu Zhao extended his right hand. “Do you have any clothes coupons? Lend me some, and I’ll pay you back later.”

Zhang Xiangqian rolled his eyes, feeling speechless. He did have some. His wife had given them to him last night, asking him to buy some clothes from the department store to make clothes for the kids.

He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a wad of coupons, and tossed them to Xu Zhao while grumbling, “I must say, you’re really going all out this time—buying a bicycle, clothes, and all these bags of stuff. You’ve probably spent half a year’s salary already. I can see you’re really serious about Comrade Jiang.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen you treat a girl so well. If those girls in the arts troupe saw this, they’d probably be heartbroken, and jealous to the point of tears. Who would’ve thought that Captain Xu, who always has a cold and unapproachable face, could be so warm and attentive, gentle, and thoughtful when it comes to his partner.”

Xu Zhao couldn’t be bothered to reply to Zhang Xiangqian. He took the clothes coupons and went back into the department store.

Jiang Suihan and Jiang Leyun’s clothes were old, and they didn’t have many. In fact, on the day they got their marriage certificate, he had wanted to buy a few outfits for his young wife, but they had left in a hurry, and he hadn’t brought any cloth coupons with him. Even if he had wanted to buy clothes, he couldn’t, so he had to give up.

Before, when he was single, his clothes were enough. His parents didn’t need his support, so the cloth coupons he received each month from the military were mostly unused. In the military, when people got married, they would often borrow coupons from each other, so most of his coupons had been lent out.

Jiang Suihan noticed something peculiar: once Xu Zhao entered the department store, his attitude completely changed—he suddenly wanted everything and wanted to buy it all. She saw him pick up another piece of clothing and hold it up against her.

She quickly stopped him. “That’s enough. One outfit is plenty, buying more is just wasteful.”

To be honest, she wasn’t impressed by the clothes sold in the department store. Whether it was the style or the colors, she found them all rather outdated and unattractive.

But since everyone was wearing similar clothes these days, she couldn’t dress too flamboyantly. She didn’t want to attract attention or cause trouble. It was better to be cautious.

Xu Zhao had his own reasoning. “My mom said the bride must wear new clothes. It’s tradition. Let’s buy a couple more outfits so you can change into something fresh later.”

He simply wanted to see Jiang Suihan dressed beautifully every day, happy and content. He married her to give her a good life, not to make her suffer. He could afford it.

Knowing she couldn’t convince him otherwise, Jiang Suihan suggested, “How about we buy one set of clothes, and for the rest, we can get some fabric and make them at home. That way, we can save some money.”

Ready-made clothes were expensive, and it was more economical to buy fabric and make them herself. Although she could only do basic mending and hadn’t yet mastered the skill of making clothes, she was confident she could learn. Once they bought a sewing machine, making clothes would be much easier.

Jiang Suihan wanted to buy some brightly colored fabric. Wearing dull, drab clothes all the time made her feel gloomy. She pointed to the pink plaid and yellow-brown plaid fabrics on the shelf and asked the salesperson to take them down so she could have a look.

Both fabrics had a similar texture, made of cotton, and felt sturdy. Since it was already late August, autumn would soon arrive, making it a good time to sew a coat.

She hesitated. The pink plaid looked nicer than the yellow-brown one, but the former seemed a bit too girlish, while the latter was more practical and less likely to show dirt, though not as eye-catching.

Xu Zhao noticed her dilemma and made the decision for her. “Let’s get the pink plaid.”

Jiang Suihan quickly responded, “Wait, let me think. Maybe we should go with the yellow-brown one instead. The pink might be too youthful and not serious enough.”

Xu Zhao, however, insisted with a flourish. “We’ll get both. You can make two coats and switch them out.”

It was just two bolts of fabric, and he could afford it. Since she liked them, he was happy to buy both.

Jiang Suihan rubbed her forehead in exasperation, suddenly realizing that Xu Zhao had a bit of the domineering CEO aura. He didn’t care about the price, and he spent money without hesitation. This attitude and confidence were undeniably attractive.

Worried that if she delayed, Xu Zhao might actually buy both fabrics, Jiang Suihan hurriedly said, “Alright, let’s just get the pink plaid.”

Then she thought to herself, ‘I’m only twenty. If I don’t dress up now, I’ll be too old for pink later, and people might even laugh at me. So, there’s no reason to stop him.’

With some cloth coupons left, Jiang Suihan bought a bolt of white cotton, intending to make Xu Zhao a couple of vests. She believed in repaying kindness and was determined to show her gratitude.

She also bought a bolt of blue fabric to make Jiang Leyun a new outfit. Now all three of them would have new clothes, treating everyone equally.

Jiang Suihan turned to Jiang Leyun. “Let’s get you some paper and pens too. You need to focus on your study. Playing all the time will only make you restless.”

Jiang Leyun pouted at his sister. “I haven’t even started school yet, no need to rush. Besides, it’s not like I don’t study.”

Despite his protests, the boy’s eyes lit up when he received the pens and notebook. He stood on tiptoe and said, “I’m out of eraser too.”

So, they also bought him an eraser and a small knife.

Suddenly, Jiang Suihan thought about Jiang Leyun’s schooling. “Is there a primary school at the base?”

Before the incident in the Jiang family, Jiang Leyun had been in the first grade, but after being bullied by other children at school, he had to drop out. Children should be in school. Staying at home all day wasn’t an option.

Xu Zhao explained, “The children at the base go to the primary school in the nearby brigade. I heard from the political commissar that the leadership plans to build a primary school at the base, but the timing is uncertain. If things go well, it could be ready by the second half of this year; if not, it might be delayed until next year. I’ll ask the commissar about it later.”

A few years ago, when conditions at the base’s family quarters were tough, there weren’t many families stationed there, so there wasn’t a need to build a school just for a few children. It wasn’t just about time; finding qualified teachers was also a challenge. Most of the families accompanying the soldiers had limited education—having completed a few years of primary school and being able to read a few words was considered good, while some hadn’t attended school at all and were completely illiterate.

But in recent years, as conditions at the family quarters improved and the situation at the base stabilized, more families had come to stay. As the population grew, so did the number of children. Families and the military began to raise concerns about the distance between the base and the nearby brigade’s primary school. The commute took three to four hours each day, which was both time-consuming and unsafe. That’s when the plan to build a primary school at the base began to take shape.

Jiang Suihan was surprised. “That’s good. If there’s a primary school at the base, it’ll be much more convenient for Leyun to attend school.”

Whether he starts school later this year or next, they could decide based on the situation. In the meantime, she could help her brother review his lessons at home. When the base’s primary school was ready, he could start attending.

With his hands full of purchases, Xu Zhao asked, “Is there anything else we need to buy?”

After some thought, Jiang Suihan finally decided to buy two boxes of Snow Cream and a tin of clam oil.

**